Cigar lighter



Aug'. 16, 1,932. y J, F, RQGERS 1,872,346 cIGAR LIGHTER Filed QC'C. '31, 1930 Patented Aug. 16, 1,932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES FRANK ROGERS, OF NORTH ATTLE'BORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ABT METAL WORKS, INC., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A GOR- YPonA'rIoN or NEW JERSEY Glenn LIGHTER.

-4Appuea'mm med october 31,1939. serial no. 492,459. l

This invention relates to a novel cigar lighter construction. l

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a novel cigar lighter structure having resilient means coordinating the snuffer arm and flint cutting mechanism so that actuation of the snu'er arm to remove it from the snufling position concurrently actuates the flint cutting mechanism to ignitetive arrangement of parts, all as Awill be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 a view in side elevation of the upper part of my novel cigar lighter with the snuier arm in partially raised position; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; l

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig.,5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 1;

F ig. 6 is an end view of the snuer arm structure used in my novel cigar lighter;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of a novel cap for sealing off the cigar lighter container body;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the threaded flint` tube plug used with they cigar lighter;

Fig. 9 is a side View of the threaded flint tube plug shown in Fig. 8.

Similar reference characters referY to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Heretofore in the art of cigar lighters sub,- stantial diliculty has been encountered in the provision of a single operation cigar lighter wherein thumb pressure upon a single element functioned to raise a snuffer arm and simultaneously rotate a flint cutting wheel to arm from a wick and due to a ratchet-catch' cam action spin a cutting wheel. These structures, however, have been found objectionable inasmuch as they are subject to catching, jamming and generalv lack of ruggedness.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide, therefore, a simplified novel'ci ar structure free from sluggishness, lack o ruggedness, diiiiculty of manipulation of parts, general instability of parts, as Well as from catching effect between the various elements thereof. To attain this there is provided in my structure a mechanism adapted to give single operation action upon the pressure of the users thumb being applied along a line substantially perpendicular to the plane of the top plate of the lighter, and in which also there are means for readily adjusting the spring pressure exerted upon the flint to cause the same to be under a substantially constant pressure.

Referring now specifically to the drawing,

it will be seen that in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive l show a general lighter body structure 1 of the usual type.

end of such tube is freely immersed after it leaves the other end of such tube in the volatile fluid proper or in cotton wool, or the like, soaked inV the volatile uid contained in the body portion 3 cf the lighter 1.

Located above this plate 2 is a hollowed out portion 9 into which fits the operating Internally thereof is mounted a plate 2 which separates off the hereinafter.

mechanism which is more fully described There appears in Figl at the top of the top plate 8 a portion ot the operating mechanism, to wit, the thumb lever structure 10, the snuiier arm structure 11, the top of the wick tube and the side platesr12, which side plates are secured to the top plate 8. The side plates 12 are each provided with three threaded holes 13, 14 and 15. Into these holes are threaded the pins 13', 14 and 15 which hold the side plates rmly apart,9 and about at leastV two of which pins (13 and 15') elements of the operating mechanism of the lighter are-arranged to rotate.

The thumb lever structure 10, as will be seen in Fig. 3, consists in a thumb lug 16 secured to a bifurcated body portion 17 formed with arm portions 18 pivoted on the pin 15. Disposed between the arms 18 of the body 17 and also pivoted on the pin 15 are the ratchet Wheel 19 and the flint cutting wheel 20 which is secured to the ratchetwheel 'for rotation therewith. The snuer arm 11 is pivotedfor rotation on the pin 13 and is formed with the depression 21 at the end thereof, into, and against which depression, the end of the thumb lug 16 may seat to actuate the snuiier arm 11 on its pivot.

The snuier arm body 11 is also biturcated and orq hollowedout conformation having at the end thereof an extension portion 22. Aty the end o' the bifurcated extension pertion is a ratchet bar 23 pivoted on a pin 26. Secured in the extension portion is a retaining member 24 bent, as is shown in Fig. 6, to keep the ratchet bar 23 in proper alignment with the ratchet wheel 19. Passing transversely through the sides of the bifurcated extension 22 are pins 25 and 26. The retaining member 24 is secured against one of the sides of the extension 22 at the pin 25 by a washer 27. Due to its bent form the retaining or spring Aholding member 2li, as will be observed in Fi 6, operates to preserve the alignment o? the ratchet bar 23 and, by 'holding the same firmly against the side of the extension 22, tends to rictionally maintain the angular displacement existing between the snuier arm proper and the ratchet bar at different points along the stroke of such ratchet bar. Wound about the pin 13 is a spring 28 which is bent around and secured to pin 14: at one end 'thereof 28 and reversely'bent upon itself and secured between washer 27 and the member 24 at the other end thereof 29.

The snuer arm 11 has at the end thereof the usual snuier cap 30 which is adapted to seat over and cover the end of the wick eX- tending from the wick tube 5.

In Fig. 5 itwill beV noted that the ratchet vbar- 23 is shown as being somewhat bent at 31, 'so that the toothed portion thereof will register accurately with 4the longitudinal midlength portion of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 19.

In the nt tube 4 a flint 32 is shown pressed against the flint cutting wheel under the iniiuence of a plunger member 33 which' is urged forward by a spring 34. Threaded into the end of the fiint tube 4 is a plug member 35 having an extension 36, about which the spring 34 is disposed so that the same engages with the inner end of the plug member 35. This plug member shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is formedat its outer end with a slot 37. The bottom plate of the lighter is provided with the usual filling opening 38 into which is threaded a cap 39 for closing 0H the same. Centrally disposed on the threaded cap 39 is an extension 40, the end 41 of which is made of rectangular or square form so that the same may be used as a key to ht in the cavity or recess 37 in the plug 35 for turni-ng the pllug to adjust the pressure of the spring on t e Hint 32 and Hint piston 33.

From the foregoing, the operation of my device will be observed to be substantially as follows z--When the thumb lever structure 10 is depressed by pressure brought to bear on 'thethumb lug 16, the body "17 is carried downwardly and rotates about the pivot pin 15". As the end of the thumb lug 16 contacts with the depression 21 on the snuer arm 11, the snufier arm is rotated on its pin 13. The snuer arm is raised and the extension portion thereof 22 is thereby lowered. The spring 28 due to the engagement of its bent over end 29 with the members 24 and 27 is tensioned; and the ratchet bar 23, carried b'y the extension 22, due to the shape of the plate 2 and also due to the member 24 causing such ratchet bar to rictionally engage with one side of the extension 22, rises and comes into engagement with the ratchet wheel 19. As the thumb lug is further depressed the snuier arm and the snuiier cap 30 is further raised and the spring 28 further tensioned, due to the ratchet bar having become en aged with the ratchet wheel. Conepression of the thumb lu 16 advances the ratchet bar forwardly fgrom left to right of the lighter, as shown in Fig. 4 so that the ratchet and int wheel secured thereto is rotated on the pin 15 to out the viheel constant throughout the life of a given ossible to maintain the- `iint and shower a series of hot sparks on the It will thus be seen that I have created a novel cigar lighter structure, wherein there is contained means so arranged so that when pressure is brought to bear upon a portion of the lighter a novel coaction of elements results wherein a wick snuffel` arm is removed from an inilammable wick and a shower of sparks is immediately thereafter thrown thereupon to ignite the same. It will be further noted that I have provided means for resiliently returning the various parts to their normal condition and also novel means of correlating and allocating the various parts.

Inasmuch as many changes may be made in the above construction and many ap.- parently widely and di'erent embodiments of the scopepof the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter herein- -above contained or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any way limiting. The following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention described.

What I desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. In a cigar lighter havinga body, a top plate, side plates atop said top plate, a snuer arm pivoted between said side plates and having a bifurcated extension extending into said body, a ratchet wheel-and a flint cutting wheel rotatably pivoted between said side plates, a member pivoted on the pivot for said flint cutting and ratchet wheels for actuating said snuffer arm on its pivot. a pivoted ratchet bar secured to and carried by said bifurcated snufer arm extension, means in said bifurcated snufl'er arm extension formaintaining said ratchet bar-in alignment with said ratchet wheel, and resilient means on the snule'r arm pivot engaging with the means for maintaining the ratchet bar in alignment with the said ratchet wheel for normally returning all parts to original position.

2. In a cigar lighter structure substantially of thel type described, a wick snuler arm, a ratchet wheel, a pivoted ratchet arm of predetermined shape which, when in normal position, is at one end of its stroke and has its teeth thereof engaging with the teeth of said ratchet wheel, a thumb plate mounted atop said structure, means whereby thumb pressure when applied to said thumb plate in -a those of the ratchet wheel, and means whereby primary raising of the pivoted snuffel' arm brings said ratchet bar into re-interengagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

3. In a cigar lighter, a casing, a partition extending across the entire cross section of the casing providing in conjunction with the upper end of the casing a pocket, a pyrophoric tube and a wick tube extending through said partition and terminating adjacent to the upper edge of the casing, a cap plate for said casingprovded with vertically extending flanges on its sides, ,a rod secured in said flanges, a ratchet wheel and flint cutting wheel mounted on said rod, a second rod secured in said flanges, a snuer arm pivoted on said second mentioned rod, said s'nuffer arm being provided with an extension extending into said pocket, a driving ratchet secured to said extension and located in said pocket and operable to drive said ratchet and flint cutting wheels, an operating member pivoted on the rod supporting the ratchet wheel and flint cutting wheel and movable into said pocket, and spring means for returning said snuffer arm, ratchet bar, and operating member to normal position, said spring means being supported on said side plates and being connected to said extensions on said'snuier arm.

4. In a cigar lighter, a casing provided with an upwardly opening pocket extending across the entire cross section of the casing, a pyrophorictube and a wick tube extending into said pocket, flanges on said casing, a flint cutting wheel supported on said flanges, a snufer arm pivoted on said flanges, said snuier arm being provided with an extension movable within said pocket, a drivmg device for said flint cutting wheel located in and operable within'said pocket, an operating member movably mounted on said flanges and operable within said pocket, and spring means for returning said snuffer arm, driving device, and operating member to normal position, said spring being c onnected to said flanges and to said extensions on said snuffer arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand on this 28th day of October A. D.,

JAMES FRANK ROGERS.

line substantially vertical to the top plate of said lighter acts to cause said ratchet arm to go through a stroke and spin the ratchet wheel, means for withdrawing 'the ratchet arm from engagement with the ratchet wheel at the end of the stroke, means to normally return the thumb plate to 'its original position and the ratchet arm to its withdrawn position without engagement of its teeth with 

